Under Burning Skies
by SilverEyeShinobi
Summary: Three years ago, the world went to hell. It was my fault. I was foolish, childish, and selfish. I've been in hiding for three years. But now, I've returned. My name is N Harmonia. And this time, I'm not going to mess up. Ghetsis Rules the World AU. NxTouko


**This story takes place in an AU world where Ghetsis's plan to take over the world in Pokemon Black/White succeeds. The events of this story take place three years after those events.**

Under Burning Skies

Summary: Three years ago, the world went to hell. It was my fault. I was foolish, childish, and selfish. I've been in hiding for three years. But now, I've returned. My name is N Harmonia. And this time, I'm not going to mess up. Ghetsis Rules the World AU.

Chapter 1: How the World Changed

"_N, come here."_

_I slid towards my father, seeing him cradling something in his arms._

"_What is it?" I asked._

"_It's a Zorua." He held the Pokémon out towards me. A moment later, I felt like I was going to be sick. It was beaten bloody and it looked like it was shaking in fear._

Go away... go away... I'm scared... Go away...

_I took the Pokémon from my father's hands, feeling tears welling up in my eyes. I scampered off to my room where I lay the injured Pokémon on a bed of blankets._

No... Go away... It hurts... I'm scared... Go away...

"_Is that you?" I asked in surprise. "Are you all right?"_

Human... Go away... Hurts... Go away...

"_I won't hurt you..." I told it, gently stroking its fur where it wasn't injured. "I promise, I'll look after you."_

...

My eyes slid open slowly, the bright light of the sun burning into them painfully. I groaned and snapped my eyes shut again. My head was pounding...

I faintly heard the sound of a door opening.

"Oh! Mom! MOM! He's awake!" A voice cried.

I heard a scuffle of footsteps. My eyes slid open slightly, catching sight of a girl with brown hair and bright blue eyes.

A moment later, I faded away once more.

...

_The Zorua recovered nicely. It grew to not only trust me, but it liked me. Father tried to get me to let it go, but it didn't want to leave, so I hid it away in my room. I brought food back from dinner and gave it to the Pokémon. But I also took it outside to run around. Zorua loved it. Father didn't like me running around outside though so that was quickly abolished. Instead, I stayed in my playroom, riding my half pipe on my little skateboard with the Pokémon on my shoulder._

_..._

_I stood in my room, dressed in a robe of silk. I thought maybe it was a bit much, but I knew it was necessary. _

_I was fourteen years old, and my father had planned this day since I was a child. He'd always told me that someday I would be King of Team Plasma. Today was that day._

_There was a knock on my door._

"_N. We are ready." _

_I nodded, my heart racing as I stepped down the hallway towards the throne room. I ran by everything my father told me. As soon as the crown was set on my head, I would be King. But with that power came responsibility. I would protect Pokémon and free them from humans. That was my goal._

_The room was silent as I stepped towards the throne. My father followed me. As I turned around, for a moment I thought about a Darmanitan and a Woobat I had released several years ago. They had been my friends. I still had my Zorua, because it blatantly refused to leave my side. Did Darmanitan and Woobat feel the same way ? Did they really want to leave? What if all of the other Pokémon didn't want to leave their trainers too?_

_I shook it off quickly, looking up at my father. I had to do this. For the sake of every abused Pokémon in the world._

_And the crown was placed on my head._

...

My eyes opened slowly once more. It had been a long time since that day. I'd almost forgotten what it had felt like to have the crown set on my head...

"You're up?"

I turned my head slowly, focusing on a girl around my age, maybe a little younger. I recognized her as the girl who'd checked up on me the last time I'd woken up. It was the girl with the brown hair and bright blue eyes.

"Thank goodness," She sighed in relief. "We were so worried you wouldn't wake up."

I couldn't bring myself to respond. Instead, she pulled up a chair beside me and held out a bowl of hot soup.

"I brought you some food. I figured you'd want something to eat."

Maybe I was a little hungry. I tried to move my arm, but my hand shook violently.

The girl helped me sit up. My head pounded painfully. I felt dizzy and sick, but the girl took care of me, just as I took care of all of the injured Pokémon all those years ago. She helped me eat, she helped me lie back down. And yet, I still couldn't speak to her. I couldn't thank her for anything.

It felt as if my voice had left me.

I closed my eyes one more and fell asleep.

...

_Reshiram. I had to awaken it. If I did, I could save all of the Pokémon. Every abused Pokémon like my Zorua would get a chance to run around and be free. Be happy._

_I succeeded._

_Reshiram awakened, and spoke to me._

Human hero, you have awakened me. If you wish to have my aid, you must battle and capture me to prove your worth.

"_I accept, Reshiram." I told him._

_And then we battled._

_I used my Zoroark, and we battled. The battle was difficult, but in the end, I captured Reshiram. The massive, powerful Pokémon had been contained in a small ball that could fit in my hand. I couldn't help but wonder if it was comfortable for him._

_The first thing I did was release him from the Pokéball._

Well done, Master. What is it that you seek?

"_I wish to free the Pokémon in the world and halt their abuse. That is my goal."_

So it shall be.

_And I rode on the back of the legendary Reshiram, returning to my castle._

...

_The threat had gone all over the world. I, N of Team Plasma, had awakened Reshiram and I demanded that everyone release their Pokémon. Many people did. And then it happened._

_My father and many members of Team Plasma went from city to city and ransacked them, freeing any Pokémon who hadn't been released. I remained in the castle, tending to Reshiram and Zoroark until they returned._

_Many Pokémon were freed over the next week. And on that final day, when my father and Team Plasma returned, I felt a sense of accomplishment._

"_How did it go, father?" I asked, standing up and approaching him as he returned to the castle. _

_My father smiled. "Very well, N. And it's all thanks to you."_

_I grinned broadly. "So, the Pokémon are free?"_

_He nodded, smiling again. "And now, it sets the stage for what comes next."_

"_Are we going to free the other regions too?" I asked eagerly. _

"_Oh we will do more than that, N. Thanks to you, my plan was set in motion. Thanks to you, the world has released their Pokémon. Thanks to you, the world is now powerless to stop me!" Then he laughed, heavy and hard and the smile faded from my face._

"_F-Father, what do you mean?" I asked._

"_Don't you get it, you fool?" He asked me. "Freeing Pokémon was just the start! Now that nobody can stop me, the world will be mine!"_

_I trembled slightly and shook my head. "No, no father! It was for the Pokémon, not to take over the world!"_

"_Stand aside, N." My father told me._

"_No!" I cried._

Master! _Zoroark cried. _

_Team Plasma was taking him away... My friend..._

"_Run along, N. Go to your room."_

"_NO!" I stood my ground. "RESHIRAM!"_

_Reshiram flew in front of me and stood between myself and my father. No, Ghetsis. The man who used me to take over the world. I felt sick to my stomach._

_Several members of Team Plasma grabbed me from behind. I screamed in fury, trying desperately to escape. I saw my father, Ghetsis, taking my crown and setting it on his head. He smiled cruelly in my direction._

"_I no longer have any use for you." Ghetsis stated. "Lock him up!"_

_My eyes widened in horror. Zoroark suddenly broke free of the Team Plasma members holding him back. He charged towards me and freed me as well. Reshiram pursued me and Zoroark through the halls of my castle.  
"STOP HIM! STOP HIM! DON'T LET HIM ESCAPE!"_

_I leapt on Reshiram's back and he smashed through the side of the castle, but instead of flying like he normally would, he fell from the sky. We hit the ground hard, but not hard enough so that the three of us were killed, although I could barely move. I chose not to. It hurt too much to even try._

_I think my body left a dramatic sight as I lay on the ground. I heard Ghetsis's manic laughter, obviously thinking I was dead. I heard him order Team Plasma to dispose of me. He wasn't watching as grim faced Team Plasma members lifted me onto Reshiram and promised me that they'd tell Ghetsis that I was dead._

_All so they could protect me. They still believed in their king. I was touched._

_Then Reshiram and I flew into the distance, disappearing from the Unova region._

...

When I woke up again, my head was clearer. My eyes focused on the room I was in as I tried to stretch slightly. My joints cracked, making me wince, but in the end, I felt much, much better.

The room was small and the walls were white and filled with tiny holes. I expected that was where decorations had been put up in the past. I could see rolled up posters in the corner of the room, crumpled up and sad looking. One of them was slightly unrolled, and I could see a picture of a Pokémon Lab and parts of the three Unova starters. So they were Pokémon posters... So why were they taken down? Perhaps it was because the memory was too painful.

The door opened again and I looked up. It was the girl again. Her face lit up happily, realizing I was awake.

"Hello again!" She said, heading towards me with soup and bread and butter. "I was hoping you'd be awake."

I wanted to say thank you, because she'd looked after me while I'd been unconscious, but I couldn't find a way to say it. So instead I stupidly said the first thing that came to my mind.

"What happened?" I asked, my voice hoarse and underused.

She looked thrilled to hear my voice. She reached over to help me sit up, but I mostly did it under my own power this time.

"I found you in the woods about a week ago. You'd been knocked out, and robbed." She sighed.

"Oh." I stated. I ran a hand through my hair, looking around for my hat. I saw it on top of my bag against the wall. "What did I lose?"

"I don't know." She stated. "I expect mostly food, water and any extra clothes. You know how it is these days."

"How what is?" I asked.

"Unova." The girl sighed. "It's been a mess since Team Plasma took over."

"Took over?" I felt shock creeping into me. So Ghetsis had been serious.

"Where have you been for the last three years?" The girl asked. Then she sighed. "Or maybe you just have amnesia..."

"I wouldn't mind a refresher." I stated, wanting to get the full story of what had happened over the three years I'd been in hiding.

The girl sighed, then looked up at me. "You have to know about Team Plasma, right?"

"I've heard of them." I replied.

"They're a group of people who wanted to free Pokémon from trainers. They believed that Pokémon wanted to be free, and that humans abused Pokémon. They were led by a person named N." Her face twisted in disgust the second she said my name. I couldn't help but feel hurt from it.

"N awakened Reshiram, that legendary Pokémon, and used scare tactics to get everyone to release their Pokémon." She sniffed. "It worked. And then he took over the Unova region. He even has forces outside the Unova region, freeing Pokémon over there too."

I nodded slowly. "Does anyone know what this N person looks like?"

"Nobody here does." The girl stated. "I've hard of an older man with green hair who's been leading Team Plasma around for the last three years, and he's been seen quite often in other cities, but I don't think that's N. Well, it could be. I don't know his name either."

_Ghetsis_ I thought. So the bastard was still alive.

"Either way, Team Plasma ransacked the towns and cities and destroyed every single Pokéball so nobody could ever catch one again. We're not even allowed to manufacture them anymore." She sighed. "Only Team Plasma is permitted to carry a live Pokéball with a Pokémon inside."

"What of everyone else?" I asked, fearing the answer.

"The rest of us have to live as best as we can. Team Plasma doesn't care about us. You were attacked by someone who needed food and water. That's the way things are these days." She sighed. "Society is in shambles." Then she gritted her teeth. "And it's all because of N and Team Plasma." She snarled.

I bowed my head, looking at where my feet were hidden beneath the blankets. It was my fault. It all was my fault. If I hadn't been so naive, if I hadn't been such a child, maybe I could've seen Ghetsis's deception before it was too late. Instead, he used me to get what he wanted. And because of it, I had ultimately destroyed their world.

"Anyway, let's get to happier things." The girl forced a smile onto her face. "My name is Touko. What's yours?"

"My name?" Obviously I couldn't tell her my real name. If she found out I was N, she'd be really upset. I didn't want to do that to her.

She nodded, and in a span of a second, I peeled the first three letters out of my last name and used that as a base for a fake name.

"Haru." I stated. "My name is Haru."

"Haru, huh? That's a nice name." Touko smiled. "Well, I'm glad we could meet, Haru. I hope you're feeling well."

"Yes, I am, thank you very much."

And I couldn't stop the guilt from flooding through me.


End file.
